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7/25/24, 10:07 AM

FRB: Press Release -- Guidance outlining the purpose and scope of supervision of financial holding companies -- August 15, 2000

Release Date: August 15, 2000

For immediate release
The Federal Reserve Board today issued guidance outlining the purpose and scope of its
supervision of financial holding companies authorized to engage in a diversified range of
financial activities.
The Federal Reserve is responsible for determining that financial holding companies, on a
consolidated basis, are operated in a manner that does not threaten the viability of their
depository institution subsidiaries. Through August 11, 365 banking organizations had
elected to be treated as financial holding companies.
The guidance, contained in a letter to Federal Reserve supervisors as well as financial
holding companies, focuses on the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act's provisions for working with
the functional regulators of the companies' securities, insurance and commodities
subsidiaries. There should be minimal, if any, noticeable change in the well-established
relationships between the Federal Reserve and the primary supervisors of depository
institutions controlled by financial holding companies.
"Effective financial holding company supervision requires strong cooperative relationships
between the Federal Reserve and primary bank, thrift and functional regulators and foreign
supervisors," wrote Richard Spillenkothen, director of the Board's Division of Banking
Supervision and Regulation. "These relationships respect the individual statutory authorities
and responsibilities of the respective supervisors but at the same time allow for enhanced
information flows and coordination so that individual responsibilities can be carried out
effectively without creating duplication or excessive burden."
In supervising financial holding companies, the Federal Reserve will rely on reports filed
with or prepared by bank, thrift and functional regulators as well as on publicly available
information for both regulated and non-regulated subsidiaries. Where necessary and
appropriate, the Federal Reserve may conduct or participate in reviews at banks, thrifts or
functionally regulated subsidiaries to verify that risk management and internal control
policies established at the holding company level are being effectively implemented.
Most of the concepts discussed in the framework are already applied by the Federal Reserve
in the consolidated supervision of complex bank holding companies. The Federal Reserve's
supervision of financial holding companies will evolve as their activities and structures
become more diverse. It may differ depending on a financial holding company's mix of
banking, securities and insurance activities.
Supervisory letters are the Federal Reserve's primary means of communicating key policy
directives to its examiners, supervisory staff and the banking industry. Supervisory letters
can be viewed on the Board's web site at www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/srletters.
The supervisory letter is attached.
https://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/general/2000/20000815/default.htm

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7/25/24, 10:07 AM

FRB: Press Release -- Guidance outlining the purpose and scope of supervision of financial holding companies -- August 15, 2000

2000 Banking and consumer regulatory policy
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Last update: August 15, 2000

https://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/general/2000/20000815/default.htm

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